Wheel guide for tractor chains



Nov. 10; 1931.

J. T. MOORE WHEEL GUIDE FOR TRACTOR CHAINS Filed April 6 1929.

INVENTOR.

QATTORNEYJ or laterally .fact that there is an Patented Nov. 10, 1931UNITED STATES PATENT: AQFFICQE' JOHN TURNER MOORE, or READING,PENNSYLVANI AfASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 nnx-wa'rsoivconronnrron, or CANASTOTA, NEW YORK, A coaronn-ei TION OF NEW YORKWHEEL. GUIDE non 'rnno'roa CHAINS Application filed April G, 1929.Serial No. 353,184.

This invention relates to improvements in endless track mechanisms suchas are used on vehicles of the tractor type, such mecha nisms comprisinga series of articulated tread links which constitute an endless chainforming the surface on which the wheels of the tractor or vehicletravel. 1

The links constituting said chainhave tread portions, one surface ofwhich engages the ground over which the vehicle moves while the othersurface supports the wheels of the vehicle. These wheel supporting sur-'faces are on the upper or inner sides of the links and as the links passaround the Wheels it is essential that they be held against anyappreciable movement axiallyof the wheels of the peripheries thereof.Means for limiting such movement of the links are broadly old, numerousforms of guide means having been formed on the links themselves adjacentthe wheel supporting surfaces of the links and adapted to engage orcontact with the wheels and thus limit the lateral play of the links.However, in structures such as these there is considerable wear imposedupon the guide membersdue to the appreciable relative movement of'theguide members and wheels as the links come into contact with and moveout of contact with the wheels. .This relative movement of "quent wearimposed thereby on the Wear members results in thenecessity offrequently replacing the links because'the'parts become jso loose thatthere is an undue amount of lateral play of the worn links relative tothe Wheels.

With this in mind, the present invention particularly contemplates meansfor guiding the links or limiting their lateral play with respect to thewheels, wherein the wear imposed upon such guide members is In thepresent invention'it is sought tov simplify the construction of thewheels or said parts and the conseprovide guide members on the vehiclesupporting frame for cooperation with gui e members on the links. toutilize anti-friction members for guiding the links so that Wear on theof the links will be reduced.

A further object is to provide guidingv devices on the vehicle framethat will cooperate With each and every one of the links con-, stitutlngthe link chain. With these and other objects in view the inventionconsists in certain details of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts, all'as will hereinafter be more fully describedAgain, it is sought claims. In the accompanying draw1ngs,

guide members Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view inside.

elevation illustrating the spaced side wheels of an ordinary type ofcart with an endless link belt'tread extending around said wheels,

said belt tread being indicated in dotted lines except for two of thelinks thereof.

ig. 2 is a sectional ly of Fig. 1 ;v

tion of a tions of the frame and link belt; As illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, vehicles of this type comprise a supporting axle10 for the cart or other type of body and mounted on said axle areaxially spaced wheel supporting frames 1].. Journaled in the endportions of said frames 12 for the wheels 13. As shown, axles 12 may bejournaled on antifriction elements 14 secured in any desired fashion inthe extremie ties of the frames 11, these extremities, indi-- cated at15, being of tubular formation so that the axles may extendtherethrough. As,

more clearly illustrated, in'l ig. 3, the wheels View takentransverseare the axles Fig, 3 is a perspective view partly'in sec pairof supporting wheels and pormale link. This construction is well knownand as it is understood in the art that these links constitute anendless chain that extends around the front and rear wheels of 5eachframe with the chain constituting an endless ground engaging trackfor such wheels, a further description of such parts is believed to beunnecessary.

As has been stated, it is necessary'thatmeans be provided for limitingmovement of the links laterally of the peripheries of the wheels as theypass around the same, and while such means have heretofore been providedtheir arrangement and construction has been such that considerable wearwas imposed v.on the links with the resultant reduction in the life oftheir usefulness, asbefore pointed out. In order to reduce this wear onthe links the present invention, like that disclosed in the co-pendingapplication above identified, contemplates a constructon wherein thecooperating guide surfaces for limiting the lat eral movement of .thelinks-are located at a point spaced radially inward of the peripheriesof the wheels. By doing this, the movement of the guiding surfacesrelative to one another as they come into engagement with each other andpass out of engagement with each other, is considerably less than in thecase where the guide surfaces engage one another at the peripheryofrtheewheel. Consequently, the amount of wear imposed upon the guidesurfaces is correspondingly decreased. In the present instance, this isaccomplished 35 by having laterally. spaced guide surfaces on ,each ofthe links adapted to cooperate with similarly spaced guidemembers-carried by the body supporting frames 11. As more fully shown inFig. 3 the guide members on the frame 11 are,,in the presentinstanceflnthe form of rollers 23 formed with-guide flanges 24: and journaled inarms or brackets 25 spaced laterally from one another on the tubularportions 15 of the frames and projecting from said tubular portions acomparativelv short distance radially of the wheels 13. There may, ifdesired, be one or more of these guide rollers 23, two being shown inthe present instance, on each of the extremities of the frames 11. Theserollers may be of any desired material, but-preferably they maybelikened to anti-friction elements so as to reduce the wear imposed uponthe parts, that is, the wearimposed upon the guide suroperation of thevehicle. The individual rollers 23 are spaced circumferentially of theWheels 13 and the flanges 24 on said rollers are spaced laterally aparta distance equal to the spacing of the cooperating guide surfaces on thelinks 18,18a.

These guides surfaces on the links are spaced laterally apart, adistance correspond- .65 ing to the spacing of the guide members carfacesas they rub against one another during.

ried by the frame. In the case of the male links 18 the upstanding rib22 has a comparatively broad flange 26 at the top thereof whose sides 27constitute the guide surfaces for cooperating with the guide surfaces ofthe frame. In the case of the female links 18a the ribs 21 arenecessarily spaced apart in order to receive the end portions of ribs 22of the adjacent links in the chain. In-view of this the width of flange26 on rib 22 will be made to correspond with the distance between theouter surfaces 28 of the ribs 21 so that said outside surfaces 28 alsoconstitute the guide surfaces on links 18afor co-operation with theguide members on the frame.

Y With such construction and arrangement ofparts, wear on the guidesurfaces of the links is reduced not only by the fact that they arelocated at a point spaced inwardly from the peripheries of the wheels,but also by thBr Bf fact that anti friction elements may be used asguide members. In addition, the wheels 13 may be of any form andtheirconstruction is greatly simplified. For instance, they may be of thedisk type with the disk portiolrw perfectly plane inthe region of thehub portion-of the periphery of the wheel. What Iclaim is:

1. In an endless track mechanism, the combination of a frame, apairofwheels jour-wa naled in said frame, a series of articulated linksadapted to travel around said wheels, guides on said links, a pair ofbearings formed on said frame, and a guide member Journaled in saldbearings and engageable, with the guides on said links Whenthe latterare in contact with the peripheries of said wheels.

2. In an endless track mechanism, the com bination of a frame, a pair ofwheels join-e naled in said'frame, a series of articulated links adaptedto. travel around said wheels, guides on said links and a guide memberjournaled'on said frame and engageable with the guides on said linkswhen the latter engage .110 the peripheries of said wheels, the axis ofsaid guide member being parallel to the axis of said wheels.

.3. In. an endless track mechanism, the combination of a frame, a pairof axially spaced 116 wheels journaled in said frame, a roller betweensaid wheels rotatable in said frame about an axis parallel to the axisof said wheels, guide surfaces on said roller, a ,series of articulatedlinks adapted to travel around v12 said wheels,-and guides on saidlinksengageable withthe guide surfaces on said 'roller.

4. In an endless track mechanism, the combination of a frame, a pair ofaxiallyv spaced wheels journaled in the frame, a roller journaled onsaid frame intermediate the peripheries and the axis of said wheels,guide surfaces on said roller, a series of articulated links adapted totravel around said .wheels,

and guide surfaces on said links engageable with the guide surfaces onsaid roller.

5. In an endless track mechanism, the combination of a frame, a pair ofaxially spaced wheels journaled in said frame, a pair of rollersjournaled on said frame between said wheels at points radially inwardfrom the pe riplieries of the wheels, guides on said rollers, a seriesof articulated links adapted to travel around said wheels, and guides onsaid links engageable with the guides on said rollers.

6. In an endless track mechanism, the combination of a frame, a pair ofaxially spaced wheels journaled in said frame, a pair of rollersjournaled on said frame between said wheels at points radially inwardfrom the peripheries of the wheels, guides on said rollers, a series ofarticulated to travel around said wheels, ribs on said links, and guidesurfaces on said ribs engageable with the guides on said rollers.

7. In an endless track mechanism, the combination of a frame, an axlejournaled in said frame, said frame having a tubular portion surroundingsaid axle, a wheel on said axle at each end of the tubular portion ofthe frame, pairs of projections on said tubular portion of the frame,guide members mounted on said projections, said members being rotatableon axes parallel to, the axis of the axle, a series of articulated linksadapted to travel around said wheels, and guides on said linksengageable with the guides carried by said frame.

8. In an endless track mechanism, the combination of a frame, a pair ofaxially spaced wheels j ournaled in said frame, pairs of projections onsaid wheels, guide members mounted on said projections, said membersbeing rotatable on axes parallel to the axis of the axle, a series ofarticulated links adapted to travel around said wheels, and guides onsaid linksen gageable with the rame.

9. In an endless track mechanism, the combination of a frame, a pair ofaxially spaced wheels journaled in said frame, a pair of projections onsaid frame between said wheels and radially inward from the peripheriesof the wheels, a roller rotatably mounted on said projections, laterallyspaced guides formed on said roller, a series of articulated linksadapted to travel around said wheels, and guides on said able with theguides on said roller.

JOHN TURNER MOORE.

guides carried by said links adapted frame intermediate the linksengage-

